Mission # 17 Date: 3 January 1945 Code Name: Microscope # 1 Target: Nagoya City - Docks and Urban Areas Participating Unit: 73rd BW Number A/C Airborne: 97 % A/C Bombing Primary: 59% (57 Primary, 0 Secondary, 21 Last Resort and Opportunity) Time Over Primary: 031545K - 31633K Altitude of Attack: 28,200 - 31,500 Weather Over Target: 6/10 Total A/C Lost: 5 Resume of Mission: Bombing results fair---140,000 square feet destroyed and 75 fires started. Eighteen early returns. One air- craft lost to enemy aircraft, three aircraft lost to unknown causes and one aircraft ditched on return. Enemy air opposition moderate to heavy, unaggressive to aggressive---346 attacks with fourteen destroyed, fourteen probably destroyed and twenty damaged. AA meager---accurate. Average bomb load: 5,300 lbs. Average gas reserve: 761 gallons.

Mission # 18 Date: 9 January 1945 Code Name: Enkindle # 2 Target: Tokyo ( 357 ) - Nakajima A/C Plant, Musashino Participating Unit: 73rd BW Number A/C Airborne: 72 % A/C Bombing Primary: 25% (18 Primary, 0 Secondary, 34 Last Resort and Opportunity) Time Over Primary: 091513K - 091535K Altitude of Attack: 29,500 - 34,400 Weather Over Target: CAVU Total A/C Lost: 6 Resume of Mission: Bombing results poor---visual bombing--- extremely bad weather on route out prevented formation flying to any large extent. Diversionary force of three aircraft dispens- ed rope. Nineteen early returns. Two aircraft lost to enemy air- craft, one aircraft ditched on route back and two aircraft are missing to unknown reasons. Enemy air opposition meager to moderate, inaccurate. Average bomb load: 5,000 lbs. Aver- age gas reserve: 1,174 gallons.

Mission # 19 Date: 14 January 1945 Code Name: Hesitation # 2 Target: Nagoya ( 194 ) - Mitsubishi A/C Plant Participating Unit: 73rd BW Number A/C Airborne: 73 % A/C Bombing Primary: 55% (40 Primary, 0 Secondary. 23 Last Resort and Opportunity) Time Over Primary: 141540K - 141628K Altitude of Attack: 29,080 - 32,000 Weather Over Target: 4/10 to cumulous and dense haze Total A/C Lost: 5 Resume of Mission: Bombing results fair---166,100 square feet destroyed and damaged. Nineteen early returns. One aircraft ditched en route to target, two aircraft ditched en route back, one aircraft lost to unknown causes and on aircraft lost to survey. Enemy air opposition moderate to heavy, unaggressive to aggres- sive---583 attacks. AA meager to moderate, inaccurate to accu- rate. Average bomb load: 5,000 lbs. Average gas reserve: 909 gallons.

Mission # - ( none assigned ) Date: 16 January 1945 Code Name: Pagan Island Target: Airstrip on Pagan Participating Unit: 313th BW Number A/C Airborne: 44 % A/C Bombing Primary: 73% ( 32 A/C ) Time Over Primary: 161133K - 161754K Altitude of Attack: 28,300 - 28,400 Weather Over Target: 6/10 - 10/10 Total A/C Lost: 0 Resume of Mission: Shakedown mission for wing. First effort with bombing results....fair. Eleven early returns. Enemy air opposition and AA nil. Average bomb load: 12,000 lbs. Aver- age fuel reserve: 1,854 gallons.

Mission # 20 Date: 19 January 1945 Code Name: Fruitcake # 1 Target: Osaka ( 1547 ) - Kawasaki A/C Plant, Akashi Participating Unit: 73rd BW Number A/C Bombing Primary: 78% (62 Primary, 0 Secondary, 9 last resort and Opportunity) Time Over Primary: 191450K - 191524K Altitude of Attack: 25.100 - 27,400 Weather Over Target: 2/10 - 3/10 Total A/C Lost: 0 Resume of Mission: Bombing results good---major damage 39% of total roof area of engine and assembly plants destroyed or damaged---1,032,000 square feet. Seven early returns. Enemy aircraft destroyed four, probably destroyed four and damaged 8. AA meager to moderate, inaccurate. Average bomb load: 5,000 lbs. Average gas reserve: 1,037 gallons.

Mission # 21 Date: 21 January 1945 Code Name: Panhandle # 1 Target: Truk, Moen Island Airfield Participating Unit: 313th BW Number A/C Airborne: 33 % A/C Bombing Primary: 91% ( 30 A/C ) Time Over Primary: 211034K - 211108K Altitude of Attack: 25,500 - 26,000 Weather Over Target: 1/10 - 2/10 Total A/C Lost: 0 Resume of Mission: Bombing results good. 52% of bombs dropped hitting the target. Three aircraft non-effective. Enemy air opposition nil. AA heavy, meager and inaccurate. Average bomb load: 11,000 lbs. Average gas reserve: 1817 gallons.

Mission # 22 Date: 23 January 1945 Code Name: Eradicate # 3 Target: Nagoya ( 193 ) - Mitsubishi Engine Plant Participating Unit: 73rd BW Number A/C Airborne: 73 % A/C Bombing Primary: 38% (28 Primary, 27 Secondary, 5 Last Resort and Opportunity) Time Over Primary: 230535K - 230547K Altitude of Attack: 25,300 - 27,200 Weather Over Target: 9/10 - 10/10 Total A/C Lost: 2 Resume of Mission: Bombing results unsatisfactory. Due to weather twenty-seven aircraft bombed Urban area of Nagoya. Thirteen early returns. One aircraft ditched just after take-off' and one aircraft lost to enemy aircraft and AA. Enemy fighter opposition heavy and aggressive---691 attacks. Enemy air- craft destroyed thirty-three, probably destroyed twenty-two and damaged forty. AA heavy, meager to moderate, inaccu- rate to accurate. Average bomb load: 6,000 lbs. Average gas reserve: 1,053 gallons.

Mission # 23 Date: 24 January 1945 Code Name: Starlit # 1 Target: Iwo Jima Airfields One and Two Participating Unit: 313th BW Number A/C Airborne: 28 % A/C Bombing Primary: 71% ( 20 A/C ) Time Over Primary: 241228K - 241330K Altitude of Attack: 26,000 - 28,000 Weather Over Target: 0/10 - 10/10 Total A/C Lost: 0 Resume of Mission: Bombing results good. Airfield number One rendered unserviceable. Eight early returns. Enemy air opposition nil. AA heavy, meager and inaccurate. Average bomb load: 12,000 lbs. Average gas reserve: 1,622 gallons.

Mission # 24 Date: 27 January 1945 Code Name: Enkindle # 3 Target: Tokyo ( 357 ) - Nakajima A/C Plant, Musashino Participating Unit: 73rd BW Number A/C Airborne: 74 % A/C Bombing Primary: 0 ( 0 Primary, 56 Secondary, 6 Last Resort and Opportunity) Time Over Primary: 271504K - 271558K Altitude of Attack: 24,500 - 29,600 Weather Over Target: 10/10 Total A/C Lost: 9 Resume of Mission: Mission planned for either Musashino (357) or Mitsubishi engine Factory (193) at Nagoya or if weather was bad, urban areas of Tokyo or Nagoya were to be bombed by radar. Two aircraft were dispatched early as weather reconnaissance and reported that 357 would be target. Complete under-cast ne- cessitated radar run on urban Tokyo. Bombing results unobserved. Twelve early returns. Five aircraft lost to enemy action, two aircraft ditched on return, one aircraft crash-landed on return to base and one aircraft lost to survey. Enemy fighter opposition of unparalleled intensity---984 attacks. Enemy aircraft destroyed sixty, probably destroyed seventeen and thirty-nine damaged. Many ramming attempts. AA heavy, moderate to intense, inaccurate to accurate. Average bomb load: 6,000 lbs. Average gas reserve: 1,059 gallons.

Mission # 25 Date: 29 January 1945 Code Name: Starlit # 2 Target: Iwo Jima Airfields One and Two Participating Unit: 313th BW Number A/C Airborne: 33 % A/C Bombing Primary: 85% ( 28 A/C ) Time Over Primary: 291428K - 291447K Altitude of Attack: 23,000 - 25,200 Weather Over Target: 0/10 - 3/10 Total A/C Lost: 0 Resume of Mission: Bombing results fair. 14% of bombs dropped fell within target area. Enemy air opposition slight. AA heavy, moderate & inaccurate. Average bomb load: 12,000 lbs. Average gas reserve: 1,386 gallons.

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